208 Records, "good catchy power pop, strong image. The band has a great rhythm section, fine songwriting. Great stuff! "We will be heading down to 208 HQ to record some new material shortly. But in the meantime we will be appearing through various media sources about the signing!

The first will appear in the Northern Echo newspaper on Wednesday 30th June 2010. There will be an interview and pictures of the band taken at their usual rehearsal studio at Lorne Street in Middlesbrough. Keep checking back for more media info and details as the website will be updated regularly! To all our friends, fans and supporters new and old thank you very much for your support over the last few years, keep spreading the word!

2010/06/25

Pete Quaife, who was the original bassist for one of the most legendary of all Brit rock bands, The Kinks, has died. He was 66. Although a cause of death has not been determined, Quaife had been undergoing kidney dialysis for more than a decade, according to the BBC.

Quaife played on The Kinks early hits, including "You Really Got Me," and "All Day And All Of the Night," ultimately sticking with the band for five years before departing in 1969. He later said he was unhappy with the constant bickering going on between brothers Ray and Dave Davies. However, the BBC notes he was proud of his work with the band, especially the album Village Green Preservation Society, telling Jukebox magazine it was the highpoint of his Kinks career."For me it represents the only real album made by The Kinks… in which we all contributed something," Quaife told the magazine.

To be a mod is not to be focused on the past. You don't need to listen sixties soul only, it's stupid and it's a pity. It's the complete opposite of the word Modernism. You have to listen to what happens now, be curious and have no blinkers. The modness is a spirit and an attitude more than a music stuck in the past. (Paul Weller, Rock & Folk, June 2010)

Jimmy Hugues was a gospel singer and he came to soul. His LP, Why not tonight, is rereleased these days.

Hughes, a cousin of Percy Sledge, was born and raised in Leighton, Alabama, close to Muscle Shoals. He began singing in a gospel quartet, The Singing Clouds, while at high school. In 1962, he auditioned for record producer Rick Hall at his FAME Studios. Hall was impressed, and recorded Hughes on a song, "I'm Qualified", that Hall had co-written with Quin Ivy. The record was leased to the Guyden label in Philadelphia, but was not a hit. Hughes returned to his day job at a rubber factory, and began singing secular R&B songs in local clubs.[3][4]

Early in 1964, he returned to Hall with a powerful ballad he had written, "Steal Away", partly based on the gospel song "Steal Away to Jesus", and recorded the song in one take,[3] backed by the studio rhythm section of Terry Thompson, David Briggs, Norbert Putnam and Jerry Carrigan.[3] Hall and his friend Dan Penn then promoted the record around radio stations in the South, and it rose to # 17 on the BillboardHot 100.[3][4] The record has been cited as "a prototype not only for subsequent great soul singers such as Johnnie Taylor and Al Green, but also would help define the signature Muscle Shoals sound."[5] On the basis of Hughes' record, Hall signed a national distribution deal with Vee-Jay Records for his FAME label. Hughes' follow-up record, "Try Me", reached # 65 on the Hot 100, and he recorded an album, Steal Away, released on the Vee-Jay label, which included the first songwriting collaborations between Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham.[4][5] He also toured with Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, Bobby Womack and others.[3]

Be very careful with the old ones, those who are actually younger than the young ones. A spurt like WUTN by a 52 years old Weller is good enough to show how it works to any clumsy melody songwriters et sounds wizards. Actually his solo discography, after The Jam and The Style Council, is full of gems but after the brilliant 22 dreams, woking's native is going straight forward, 16 songs shorts and brash, a bit Stones, Who, psychedelic, very audacious and over all very Weller. Wake up the nation is a generous slaps distribution, like rock fans, always a bit masochists, ask again and again.

Honest, if you've never been in England and if you've never been to a game, you can't really understand what football is for Blighty's supporters... It's absolutely unbelievable. If you're a fan of a club, it's a life commitment, bluenose a day, bluenose always, as an example. Blue is the colour of Damon Minchella's football passion, Birmingham City Football Club, Everton, Azzuri! Blue, blue, blue...

Everything began for him at Saint Andrews, BCFC stadium:

Blue Kipper:Who were your hero's as a kid?

Damon Minchella:Dave Thomas! My first match was at Birmingham City when I was 6. My Mum and Dad were working in Birmingham. I remember watching a game against Bristol City. I don't know if it was a cup match. I can remember this fella behind me singing "BAA RISTOL..BAA RISTOL" every minute all through the game. But to see Dave Thomas going down the wing and cross the ball for Bob Latchford was brilliant. But people like Geoff Nulty I really like. The less obvious players. Then of course you've got the Everton team of the mid 80's and it was everybody from John Bailey upwards. There were the obvious stars, but the likes of Alan Harper was a good player. So I'd say Dave Thomas and Mike Lyons.

2010/06/15

I was on the Triumph Scrambler, on my way to see my son Jeremy's band for the first time. He's the drummer and the band are called Console Wars. I turn left off Marylebone road up towards Swiss Cottage. Just as I turn another Triumph, this time a black Bonneville, turns also and we both stop at the next set of traffic lights. We both look at each others' bikes and the rider of the Bonnie who is not wearing a full face helmet, unlike myself, says "Nice bike mate". I reply something like "Yours too mate".

The lights change and we move on. I think I know that face and by the next set of traffic lights think I know who it is. We stop and I turn to him and say "Is your name Paul?"

He says "Yes?" a bit enquiringly.

"Paul Simonon?"

"Yes"

"Jean-jacques Burnel"

" I know you!"

"Yes indeed. I'm glad to see you are riding a Triumph" I say.

He says "Yeah but I preferred it when they had kickstarts"

I say "Yes, but they are more reliable now".

We shake hands and then the traffic lights change and we're off, he toward Primrose Hill and me towards Finsbury park.

2010/06/11

So what about Chicago? Darron: Chicago was great our first stop was 2021 Michigan ave, that's where chess records was, Chuck Berry, Etta James, Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, the Stones,the Yardbirds, Willie dixon, the list is endless all recording some outstanding records there that changed the face of modern music,we were also recording in Wisconsin and Milwaukee,a really nice place,the people where very receptive towards us,they love their music as its not like london where every fucker thinks or wants to be a rock star,its still got that exclusive magic.

Glen: Chicago was wicked, great to get away and get to work.

Laurence: Chicago/America was incredible from beginning to end (apart from customs at Dallas Airport ...!!), I think we all had just about the best times of our lives !

Were you there for demos or new album?

We was there to record 9 more tracks for the album,which we did, it was no holiday trust me,we knew what we went there for and done it,no messing around.hit the ground running as they say.Glen even does a lead vocal on a song he wrote and very good it is too,we had songs already written but also wrote out there by being inspired by the whole experience. Glen: We went with the intention of getting an EP down at the least. We’d never been to the studio or worked with the producer/engineer before, so no-one really knew what to expect. Laurence: Primarily we were there to record a new album, which is what we did, but we also became a better band in so many ways, just from working together all day every day and living/breathing and creating the songs .

Any special producer? Why Chicago? Rob Baird was in the control room in his colorama studio, he heard us, he came to see us, and reckons were the best out there, that’s not for us to say but we appreciated the sentiment, then he offered us the opportunity to record, so it was a no brainer for us really. Glen: Our producer is one of the directors of the American guitar company Waterstones which endorse the band, he also owns the studio that we lived and recorded in for ten days. I think the thought of getting away from everything and just totally focusing on the music and writing was what appealed to us the most. Having complete freedom over everything was another plus point, and the kit that was made available to us helped us to find the sound that we wanted.

Laurence: We were there by invite and not even an Icelandic volcano was gonna stop us getting there!

The band looks cool on the pictures Mark Sent me, were you? Everything is cool with the new Bass player?Thanks we try to make an effort, there's really no excuse to be scruffy, we all like to be stylish in our own way,laurence O'toole has fitted in perfectly, he's a very melodic bass player and thats great for a singer, plus he plays guitar, bongo, maracas, and triangle, no seriously he's a great addition to Connett and a great song writer too, so well done to Danny for bringing in brother Laurence,the four of us are a strong unit now,we all strive to be the best we can at our individual talents,right now its alot of fun and we feel unstoppable. Glen: Everyone always asks that question. Everything is cool in the band, we genuinely like each other. I have no need to question anyones ability and they never question mine. I think people like to think that there are always bust- ups and quitting, but there’s nothing like that. Laurence is a great addition to the band, he just slotted right in, he’s a great all round musician and a top fella. We were actually room- mates in the US. Laurence:It's hard for me to answer this since I am the new bass player ...... but from my point of view it's going fantastically well and I'm loving it ! I only popped along to stand in as a short term 'stop-gap' but I love these fellers and its all working, both in a musical and personal way and I think that were all in this for the long haul now, which is absolutely fine by me !

Any special direction in the new tunes? How many songs are in the box? Any special new colors in the songs? The new songs are very eclectic, we even have a dance type track on there a remix so to speak, some acoustic lead tracks, piano lead tracks but most of all we have a lot of kick in the balls tracks, lyricly it's very diverse to, some social narratives, some anti-war stuff, just songs that are relevant in the global life styles we live, it's like a modern day concept album, there's a theme running trough it for sure.

Glen: We never really set out to write/record in a certain way. We just let the music go wherever it wants to got, it’s not formulated or contrived in any way, it is what it is. As for the tracks, you’ll just have to wait, but I think a few people will be surprised. Laurence: The songs have just evolved and in America new songs just exploded from the creative bottle!! So much so that we had to apply some self discipline and concentrate on finishing one song before we lept onto the next one!! Initially we had no set direction but we just let the sound evolve organically and the result is an eclectic and surprising body of work ! The great thing is though, that it still all sounds like Connett!

Any idea of the new LP release? Autumn? We're hoping for a late summer release,were just looking now for a label to put it out,all the hard works done, so any labels out there what you waiting for? Glen: I think we’re looking for a mid to late summer release, we worked hard on the album, and we need to mix and master properly to do it justice. Laurence: I guess late summer but we're going to make sure that it sounds 'right' before we put it out there

Cool to share the bill with the Universal? Yes, looks like the universal are also with us at the summer of love festival,were really looking forward to the 100club gig as its one of our favourite venues and its a great bill Wide Boy Generation too. Glen: Yeah, it’s always good to share the bill with like minded people, that’s how movements start isn’t it? Laurence: It's always great to share the bill with good bands and The Universal definitely are a good band !!